Did you know Canvas provides for three main types of graded assessments? They are Quizzes, Discussion Boards, and Assignments. All of these that are marked to be graded will appear in the Assignments tab of the course navigation menu. Anything with a due date will appear in the course calendar. Any component you wish to appear as a column in the Gradebook, must have a corresponding assignment.
Quizzes
Canvas quizzes allow for a wide range of question types. Self-grading options include multiple-choice, fill in the blank, matching, numerical answers, etc. It will also allow for open-ended essay questions or a file upload.
You can also mark quizzes as Practice Quizzes or Ungraded Surveys, and they will not factor into the course grades. These are helpful to allow learners to practice with materials and getting used to the quiz structure in Canvas. Ungraded surveys offer you the option to check in more informally, which can be helpful as you get to know learners at the beginning of the term or ask for a status update as the course progresses.
If you are giving a quiz or exam on paper in class and plan to put just the grade in Canvas, you should create an “Assignment” instead of a quiz.
Discussion Boards
Posts on discussion boards can be seen by other learners in the course. In the online class environment, it is crucial to ensure that learners are interacting with one another and with you. Open ended questions that require a bit of critical thinking and a requirement for learners to reply to other learners are standard methods for creating Discussions in a class. However, you can be as creative as you wish – learners can attach images to their replies, or they can record a video directly into the Discussion thread, using the Upload/Record Media button (the one with a small sideways triangle and musical note).
If you haven’t used a Discussion Board in the past, here are a few things to be aware of:
- Learners will tend to get their posts in at the last minute, regardless of the deadline or the class format. Therefore, you will want to take that into consideration when planning your due dates and schedules, so you can mitigate any last minute posting frenzies.
- You will want to put some guidelines on any “reply” requirement of the Discussion; without clear instructions, many learners will only reply “Agree!” or “Great!” to their peers’ posts, which does not effectively promote engagement.
Consider using ungraded discussion boards to invite learners to introduce themselves to everyone else in the course. A Course Q&A board is another good use of an ungraded discussion where you can direct learners to post questions related to the course that would be beneficial for all participants to see.
Assignments
Canvas calls everything else a student completes for a grade an “Assignment.” An assignment can be submitted online through text entry, file upload, media recording, Google Docs, or URLs. Assignments can also be placeholders for an in-class activity or submission by choosing No submission; this allows you to put grades into the Canvas gradebook. An assignment with a due date but no points/grades given can be used for practice or draft assignments.
If you want to use Turnitin (which checks for originality of submitted work), choose External Tool as the submission type. Click Find, and *Turnitin should be at the top of the list.
Creating an Assignment
You can create any of these assignment types in two different ways. You can either navigate to that link (Assignments, Quizzes, Discussions) in the navigation bar and find the add button. Alternatively, from the Modules view, you can click the + in any module to add your choice of assignment type and select [Create Assignment/Discussion/Quiz] in the selection box. This will add a new assignment to the bottom of that module.
Creating Assignment Groups
Assignment groups allow you to organize the assignments in your course and gradebook into clear categories. These categories can also be assigned percentage values, allowing for easy weighted grading.
- In Course Navigation, click the Assignments link.
- Click the +Group button.
- Type the assignment group name.
- Click the Save button.
Upcoming Events
Best Practices for Online Group Work
Wednesday, July 30, 2025 1:30pm-2:30pm
Join us for “Best Practices for Online Group Work” on July 30, from 1:30-2:30 pm! This workshop will cover how to best design group projects, peer reviews, small group discussions, and more to increase engagement in your online a/synchronous classroom. If you have a specific question you want covered during this training, please enter it when you register.
Facilitated by James Butler, Digital Learning Strategist
Register here to receive the Zoom link.
Clemson Online Summer 2025 Events Calendar
Review our Summer 2025 Events Calendar to see what Online Instruction Development opportunities await!
We have a robust lineup of topics and live training formats to support your use of Canvas and other e-learning tools. Topics cover demonstrations of using Kaltura, engaging your students, and workshops to get your Canvas site ready to teach!
All of our live training is recorded. Registrants will automatically receive a link to that day’s video after it has been processed.
Contact Millie Tullis with any questions regarding these sessions.
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